Pawn Collection.

Fair warning, I plan to act as though I haven't noticed that it has been a year since I have posted anything to this blog.

Busy isn't a strong enough word for this last year, perhaps overloaded, perhaps buried, or perhaps I need a new thesaurus... perhaps. There have been several woodworking and hand tool related happenings since last March which I am now ready to put into digital print. Not that I have any more time now than before, but I did buy a really sweet day planner. 

I feel I should start with the most recent item and work my way back in time. A short time ago, I wrapped up a project which required me to draw on a lot of past experience, and to experiment with some new techniques. The chess board in the photo below was a lot of fun to build, though it was not without its frustrations. There were many lessons learned which I'll get into as my summary of the construction proceeds. I'll provide my step by step construction in several blog posts over the next week or so, as I am able to squeeze in some free time.

The casework is solid walnut with beech drawer sides with hand cut dovetail joinery (both through and half blind). The chessboard is shop sawn veneer in cocobolo and holly with shop made banding and a solid walnut border. The beautiful Arthurian chess pieces were made by K.Dopita Studios in Colorado Springs, CO and inspired the King Arthur/Excalibur theme for the board and case.

Gold Plated Chess Pieces On A Field Of Holly And Cocobolo

The banding which surrounds the playing field depicts arrows following one another, and is made from purple heart, holly, and oak. I forged tiny swords from cut nails for the drawer handles, a fun process which I'll write up as an individual tutorial. I carved initials on both sides of the casework and gilded one side in gold and the other in silver to play on the opposing pieces. The playing field is veneered using Old Brown Glue, a liquid hide glue, and the remainder of the case uses hot hide glue. I wanted the piece to be repairable, as it is intended to be an heirloom set. 

The finish is dewaxed blonde shellac from Brooklyn Tool & Craft. The case received three or four coats while the top received a french polish because I wanted the reflective surface. Mixing and working with shellac has now become something of an obsession. The possibilities are endless, and the textural feel of shellac is very different from urethane, my prior finish of choice. The entire piece received several coats of Renaissance wax prior to delivery. 

Some Dovetail Joints

Tiny Excalibur

Board Top

The board's recipient was very happy with the final product, and I am thrilled that it is going to get plenty of use!

I'm Not Dead Yet.

So I took a break.  It turned out to be a much longer break than I had anticipated. 2014 was a crazy, hectic, and otherwise frenzied year which saw a lot of life changes and some interesting developments. I did do quite a bit of woodworking last year, however, it was all completed with my hair on fire trying to get things done, and as a result not much of it was documented. This year, however, will be different.

This year will see some new woodworking projects (including some commissioned items), some experimentation, some toolmaking, and new Polthaus Workshop videos posted. I was hoping to get at least one video shot before the end of February, but the weather has had other plans. Unfortunately, the shop remains unheated and temperatures in the single digits are not conducive to doing much of anything but complaining.

Last summer I took a trip to the Midwest to visit some family and ended up on the receiving end of a rather large stash of walnut. This fortunate windfall will become a new dining table and chairs for our house, as well as some tool storage and a few smaller projects. I also encountered this very educational poster on the wall of a Cracker Barrel Restaurant about developing new uses of wood , I especially like "Hiding The Charter." (Click to Enlarge)

Our America "Developing New Uses of Wood"

My daughter has also recently shown an interest in learning to use tools. On a recent trip to the hardware store she became enamored with a multicolored set of box end wrenches. This sparked an idea for a project, probably my most favorite project of 2014.

We got home with the wrenches, opened the package and discussed how they are used. She gathered up some additional loose allen wrenches (hex keys) she had collected from other projects, a folding rule I had given her several months prior, and a tiny plastic handled screwdriver that she may well have conjured into existence, as I have absolutely no idea whence it came. We looked at the small pile of tools and I craftily put the notion into her head that she needed an appropriate place to keep her growing pile of treasure. She recommended a plastic baggie, to which I responded with a pained groan. Then she recommended a basket, I interrupted and recommended a tool box. Not just any tool box, a tool box we can make together! At that she got really excited, and so did I.

Materials and Assembly Tools

The following evening I went into the shop and pulled out some 3/4 scrap pine. I wanted the box to be made of something cheap, not because I think she needs a cheap toolbox, but because I don't want there to be any heartache when we go to build the next box when her tool collection outgrows this one. The intent of the child's toolbox in my mind should be an additional learning aid. I wanted this box to have some built in flaws that we could talk about as they start to fail. In short, I want this box to slowly pull itself apart and need to be replaced by something better.

I quickly cut out all the pieces with a handsaw, squared up the edges on my shooting board and sanded them smooth. I grabbed a handful of copper roofing nails (only because they look nice in pine), my drill to pre-drill the nail holes, and some wood glue. I brought in all the pieces, which I discussed with my daughter. We talked about how the box would go together by dry fitting the pieces together, and then we started in. All the joints are glued and nailed butt joints, I want her to see how they will eventually pull apart. The top and bottom are set into four sides and nailed into place, I want wood movement to slowly pull the top and bottom apart, if it splits all the better. For now, the tools just sit inside the deep box, as her collection grows we will build a sliding tool tray, and a handle for the top of the box. As she uses this first box I want there to be plenty of things she doesn't like about the way it works. Those things will become part of our list when we design the next one. As her skill level improves, the intent is that the toolboxes will get better and better. Hopefully, by the time she is ready to go out into the world on her own, she will have acquired a lot of the skills she needs to be at least 'handy', if not a woodworker in her own right. If nothing else, she'll have decent tools and well made place to keep them.

Hammering In The Copper Roofing Nails

The top of the box is held on with some inexpensive face mounted hinges and is held closed with two brass coated chest latches. I cut up an old leather belt (it was far too small anyway) and made two side handles. So far, she carries it around and mostly pretends to fix things around the house with her tools. Recently, on her own, she took the battery cover off of a dancing Elmo doll with her Phillips head screwdriver to get the old batteries out. You would have thought she just got her Ph.D, I was very proud (until she asked for new batteries for the singing, dancing doll).

Cutting An Old Belt With
A Sharp Plane Blade

I Cut The Corners With A
Carving Gouge

And Then... Handles!

Handles Attached With Brass Screws And Cup Washers

The Finished Box...For Now

How To Get Wood.

Aside from the obvious lewd hilarity, this is a real problem for many woodworkers.  Sourcing lumber, not the other thing.  I have received several emails from woodworkers having trouble finding species of lumber outside the often mysterious "white wood" offered by most big box store lumber yards.  Some lumber yards will occasionally have a "hobby woods" section which typically offers a small selection of S4S (surfaced on all 4 sides) oak, ash, aspen, balsa, and occasionally cedar or maple.  These are often only available in 3/4 inch and smaller thicknesses, and usually in varying widths from 1 to 6 inches.  But what if you need a big old slab of walnut, or a chunk of ebony, or a dimensional piece of white oak?  Short of cutting down your own tree, stealing your grandfathers stash, or milling up some firewood, this type of specialty lumber can sometimes be difficult to find.

My recommendation is always to do a quick internet (Google) search for "exotic lumber near (insert your location)."  Beware, however, this can yield unexpected results and may end with an awkward explanation of your internet browsing history to your significant other.  Even though you may be looking for a lumber species native to your specific geographic area, many lumberyards that cater to woodworkers throw 'exotic' in their name or company description to separate themselves from your local construction grade lumber retailer.  Another keyword to use in your search is 'hardwood' which is another method of distinguishing a lumber yard that might carry bubinga from a run of the mill big box lumber yard.  If you are lucky enough to be located near a mill, you may be able to find what you are looking for among their racks.  

Another internet resource that has worked well for me has been woodfinder.com.  They have a great searchable index of lumber yards, many of which cater to woodworkers.  If you find a lumber retailer near you, be sure to call ahead as some of the references on woodfinder are a little outdated.  That being said, it never hurts to call ahead anyway.  Due to the specific nature of specialty lumber retailers, and in an effort to minimize overhead, they often keep odd hours and sometimes aren't open every day.  Woodcraft retail stores are another source of specialty lumber, though their selections are often limited by retail space (more space for TOOLS!), and their prices can run a tad on the high side when compared to exotic lumber retailers.  

Once you find a good lumber retailer near you make it a point to talk with the staff.  Many of these retailers offer additional services which may come in handy such as milling and re-cutting.  They often have equipment to surface or cut large pieces of lumber which may not be available to you otherwise.  Additionally, if you are looking for something specific many exotic wood dealers have the means to order you what you are looking for, or can recommend another retailer or a mill close by.  In short, play nice!

Learn. Practice. Share. Learn. Repeat.

One of my favorite sentences to hear is "so I have been thinking about getting into woodworking..."  Fair warning to anyone near me thinking of leading into a conversation with those words, I love to talk.  Recently, my cousin made just such a mistake.  He mentioned that he was interested in learning to woodwork in order to make himself some tool storage for his profession, and because he is more like a little brother to me, I felt it was my responsibility to indoctrinate him.

I tried to figure out which tools he'd need to start some small projects, and thought I'd start him off with those as Christmas gifts.  He doesn't have much space for tools so I tried to keep his initial woodworking set pretty bare bones.  I walked into my shop and closed my eyes and tried to think about which tools I couldn't live without if I was going to start woodworking in a small apartment.  The first thing to come to mind was a saw.  I found a Mini Dozuki from Rockler.com which is great for some of the small work he is hoping to get involved with.  I have one of these, and it is excellent for cross cutting small pieces and cutting dovetails.  One added benefit is that the blades are replaceable, so he won't have to start out learning how to sharpen a saw before he knows if he actually enjoys woodworking.   I also thought he'd need a coping saw to clean out dovetails (a project he was interested in).  I learned on a cheap one from an old hardware store that still works great, so that's what he'll get.

The next item I use without fail on a regular basis is my set of chisels.  I have a couple sets of chisels and many antiques that I have collected over the years.  One of the best starter sets I have ever used, however, is a set of Marples Blue Chip chisels (now made by Irwin).  The steel is decent, holds an edge well, they are easy to sharpen, and are not super expensive.  I'd recommend the set of 4 if you are just starting out and aren't sure if you are going to like woodworking.  The set of 4 comes with every size you'll need to at least get started butchering some lumber.  Last but not least, he'll need to be able to sharpen his chisels.

I am putting together a glass and sandpaper sharpening setup for him that I'll post on very soon.  To get him started, however, I set him up with a great little Marples sharpening jig and taught him the basics on my setup while he was visiting for the holidays.  With about three minutes of instruction, and fifteen minutes of practice he had the technique nailed.  The Marples sharpening jig is far from the nicest one I have ever used, but it is simple and effective enough to get the job done well.  The jig has projection distances (the distance the blade projects from the front of the jig to achieve different bevel angles) stamped right on the tool and comes with oil and a rough stone.  The stone that comes with the kit leaves a lot to be desired, but would work as a coarse stone in a pinch, this is why I am getting him set up with a sandpaper sharpening set.  Now he will be able to have sharp tools to use while he is learning.  I am convinced that many woodworkers give up on hand tools because they don't know how to sharpen properly, and dull tools are incredibly frustrating.

It Works Well for 12 Bucks

I am certain that I could have come up with a list of tools longer than my arm, but with great restraint I kept his starter kit to these.  The only other thing he will need is a set of clamps.  I made some recommendations on some Jorgensen wooden handscrew clamps that work really well.  With the clamps he should be able to do a load of small projects and start his tool storage solution project right on his coffee table with a woodworking set that fits in the bottom of a closet.  I am sure that within a very short amount of time I will be learning from him!

What? It's February Already?

With temperatures plummeting into the single digits my unheated workshop sanctum sanctorum, the workshop has not been a pleasant place to hang out as of late.  I have, however, managed to use up my spare time planning projects and helping my wife turn our spare room into a craft space.  She is a graphic designer and her day job requires rather strict design guidelines, often leaving very little room for raw creativity.  As a result, we discussed carving out some space of her own to paint, print, make jewelry, scrapbook, sew, and generally create (mostly so we can actually eat dinner on our dining room table again).

Our extra bedroom is now officially her space, although, she did set some crayons, coloring paper and a tiny desk aside that she said I can share with our daughter.  I did manage to accidentally teach myself some things about organization while setting up her room.  I'll post on those ideas as I incorporate them into my workshop this year (if it ever thaws out).  We treated the craft room as her birthday/Christmas present this year.  I always feel a little bummed about combination presents (even when they are awesome), so I decided to make her some small tokens of my affection this year.  

I am not one for wearing jewelry, as anyone who knows me can attest.  I am, on the other hand, fascinated by its creation.  When cleaning out the spare room I came across a small box that contained a ring my wife bought me during a semester she spent in South America.  The ring is made of tagua nut, the nut from a tree commonly known as an ivory palm.  It is a beautiful ring, but like every other piece of jewelry I own it has yet to be worn.  The ring got me thinking though.  I have some rather dense, well cured exotic wood scraps in my workshop just waiting to be used for something cool, why not a ring?

I used up the one warm day we have had lately to get out into the garage and saw up some black palm.  By the way, black palm is a beautiful species.  If you ever decide to use it for anything, be prepared for it to splinter into a million pieces, most of which will end up in your hands.  First, I cut the black palm to size with a handsaw, my little Zona saw worked perfectly for this (it's an excellent $8 saw).  I marked out a rough size for the ring with a compass.

Black palm Scrap

 Next, I centered and drilled a hole for her finger.  To size the hole, I "borrowed" one of her rings and matched forstner bits and paddle bits until I got a near match.  When drilling out holes for these rings drill until the pointy nib pokes through the other side, flip the ring, use the hole to line up the nib, and drill through the other side.  This avoids blowing out the opposite side and ruining some otherwise pristine beautiful wood.  After drilling the hole, I sawed off as much of the excess as I could.  I left the top flat as part of the design I had envisioned.  I tried to drill the hole later in the process but found it was very difficult to hold, even with clamps, while drilling through the wood.

I then went to my disk/belt sander to shape the ring.  I did all the shaping freehand on the disk sander and used the belt sander with a 220 grit belt to polish up the shape and facets.  I faceted the flat top of the ring to expose as many different angles on the spectacular end grain the black palm has as possible.  This entire process could also be done with sandpaper glued to a flat surface.  Just rub the ring on the sandpaper, it'll work a little slower but it will achieve the same results.

Disk Sander

I sanded the finger hole inside the ring with a piece of sandpaper wrapped around a dowel.

Next, in an attempt to clamp the ring in the vise while sanding it by hand, I proceeded to break it in half.  I'd recommend clamping across the grain (squish the grain together) rather than with the grain like I did, this will help prevent splitting when the fibers are compressed a little.

Whoops.

After trying my hardest not to use profane language, I started over.  Once I had the rings sanded, I took them to my cheap-o ($30 at Horror Freight) bench buffer charged with plain old white polishing compound. This did a great job of giving the rings a little luster and shine.  

The Bottom One Got Some Additional Shaping And Polishing

The Facets Reflect And Show Off Some Great Grain

I finished the rings off with a touch of beeswax polish and handed them to my wife.  I followed up this design with a ring in ebony.  I used a slightly different construction method for the ebony ring which I'll post later as it's not yet complete.  She loved these, and immediately gave me some design ideas for some others.  I will get her into woodworking if it kills me!  If you happen to be looking for a handmade gift for your loved one, try making one of these!

Black Palm And Ebony

How To Sharpen A Pencil.

This is the next video in my sharpening series... 

HOW TO SHARPEN PENCILS from Pricefilms on Vimeo.

In all seriousness, however, he has a nice workbench (albeit one with a tool tray) and it looks like he has some decent saws sitting underneath said bench.  Maybe I'll start a pencil sharpening business and finally build myself a workbench.  

Get A Handle On It.

I'm in the final stages of finishing my salvaged (mostly) Douglas fir home entertainment center.  This is one of many, many projects I am trying to wrap up inside my home before I can really justify spending some time building much needed tool storage and furniture (cough** Roubo bench... cough**) for my shop.  All the fir, with the exception of the plywood, started (a hundred years ago...give or take) as interior doors in two row homes in Baltimore.  When the homes were demolished, I was able to salvage the doors through a local salvage resale company that was working with the demo contractor.  I used a combination of a DeWalt benchtop planer - for cleaning off years of grime and paint, a bandsaw - to get rough dimensions, and handsaws and hand-planes to get the lumber to its final dimensions and finish.  I have had to be very judicious on the use of this lumber, as I am limited by the dimensions of the door rails and stiles for my pieces, and the fact that I have a very limited supply.

In an effort to reduce the amount of lumber I used, the entertainment center I had envisioned had a lot of open shelving.  After using it for a few months with open shelving, however, my wife and I realized that we are way to lazy to be "open shelving people."  So, in an effort to hide clutter (heaven forbid we just organize things!) I needed to build some sliding doors.  The sliding doors I built are very simple, no frills, clutter hiders.  I am glad that I went with simple though, because this built-in really didn't need another design element.  The idea was to have something peaceful to look at while we sit and vegetate on the couch.

The doors are just butt jointed rails and stiles with dadoes cut in to hold the Douglas fir plywood panel in the center.  The main door I held together with Jatoba splines, and the other two are just tacked in to the plywood panel (cheating, I know...).

Nothing Fancy...

The doors are hung in their openings on cheap sliding closet door hardware, which works surprisingly well.  As soon as I finish the openings I'll post some photos of the completed entertainment center.  The doors, however, really needed handles.  They were hard to open and close by just grasping the stiles.  This gave me the perfect opportunity to try out an idea I had seen in a magazine (I believe it was a Popular Woodworking issue, however, I can't seem to find the article).  Integral carved handles for sliding doors.

Here Are The Tools I Used

Integral Handle

Reclaiming America.

Some of the most beautiful lumber I have ever seen was felled over a hundred years ago and was put into an attic.  Unfortunately, it wasn't for sale and if I had taken it, the building I was in would have collapsed.  The lumber stood as massive beams in an old mill I was invited to inspect.  Wood that is nearly impossible to get anymore often resides as forests of structural members in old buildings now.  It is for this reason (among many) that I love reclaimed lumber.

It breaks my heart when I see a demolition site with piles of old growth timber heaped in dumpsters with all the other demolition waste.  Fortunately for those of us obsessed with wood who enjoy beautiful lumber, some folks have made a profession out of working with demolition contractors and building owners to salvage lumber from old buildings.  One such company out of Cambridge, Massachusetts is doing just that.  Longleaf Lumber reclaims lumber and mills the salvaged wood into all kinds of beautiful architectural goodies.  They also have a soft place in their hart (see what I did there?) for woodworkers.  In addition to inventorying lumber for woodworkers in their showroom, they have started a friendly competition amongst wood fanatics.  The contest is called "This Is the End Grain."  Once a month they will post a photo of end grain lumber on their facebook page and accept guesses as to the type of wood.  They'll randomly select a winner from all the correct guesses, and it seems that prizes will be "reclaimed, wooden, and gorgeous."  Maybe in the spirit of eliminating some of my competition I shouldn't have posted this here!

In all seriousness, however, I really respect what the folks at Longleaf Lumber are doing.  Getting people talking about, and using reclaimed lumber helps connect us to our past and gets people thinking about conservation.  Just think, many of the timbers they are salvaging were growing while the pilgrims were sitting down to the very first Thanksgiving.

Here are some videos I found which are about Longleaf Lumber and the work they are doing.

Just Shoot Me.

If you have one of these:

 You should make one of these:

(Psssst...It's A Shooting Board/Bench Hook)

Here is how I made mine...

"The Ox" - Words Fail Me.

O.P.V.

Other People's Videos

I was in the middle of writing my post for this week, and I paused for a moment to watch a video (I'm easily distracted and I'm a short film addict).  After I watched the video, I sat speechless for a moment and put my post on hold so I could share this beautiful piece with you.  

Everything about this short film impresses me.  I am constantly searching for inspiration, which is partly why I love short documentaries about craftsmen, and this film didn't disappoint.  Mr. Eric Hollenbeck owns and operates Blue Ox Millworks out of Eureka, California.  He and his wife Viviana operate an architectural millwork company on the site, however, they also operate a school and a historic park on the grounds.  Outside of the millworks the Hollenbecks also maintain a huge collection of human powered equipment from Barnes Manufacturing, a functioning blacksmith shop, a ceramics studio, a boatbuilding area, an apothecary where they make their own stains and varnishes, a plaster shop, a working print shop, a logging skid camp, a cook shack, a cafe, a herd of animals (including two Belgian Blue oxen), and knowledge and equipment for just about any other craft you could imagine.  I bow before this man in true "I'm not worthy" fashion.  I also enjoy his candor about his military service, his well thought out spring analogy, and the way his school is planning to help other veterans.

The director, Ben Proudfoot, should be immensely proud of his film.  There is a lot going on in this ten minute spot, yet he has managed to keep it all cohesive and at the same time wrapped it in a beautiful package.  I can't wait to watch his other films and I hope he has another coming soon!

Brace yourself for the overwhelming urge to run to your shop and make something.

The Ox from Ben Proudfoot on Vimeo.

Give Thanks.

"If you are really thankful, what do you do?  You share." - W. Clement Stone

It is the time of year, in America, where we are encouraged to to name the things for which we are thankful. I am really thankful for a lot of things this year, safer welding helmets, x-ray vision, mind control, twerking, The Lady's Brunch Burger, and this!  On a more relevant note, I am really thankful for folks willing to share their woodworking, toolmaking and maker experiences online.  I wrote a ridiculous article on this serious topic a while ago: World Wide Woodworking.  My belief in the willingness of woodworkers to share, both good and bad experiences, was reinforced this year at the WIA conference.  Nine online pioneers were asked to speak at an "online round-table" to discuss what they do, why they do what they do, and some of their experiences.

This round-table, to me, was just as useful as the excellent class on cutting dovetails.  Kudos to Ms. Megan Fitzpatrick and her staff for putting this together.  So many woodworkers both brand new and "well-seasoned" don't have access to costly classes, conferences, or apprenticeships.  The dwindling emphasis on the industrial arts in schools also means that these skills aren't necessarily being taught in classrooms anymore either.  The large (and growing) group of online makers has encouraged many people, especially of the younger generations, to try making something with their hands.  Those folks then are able to share what they made, with thousands of people, with just the click of a mouse.

The group of folks chosen for the WIA 2013 online community round-table included:
(from right to left in the photo above)
Ellis Walentine of Woodcentral.com and formerly of American Woodworker Magazine
Matt Vanderlist of Matt's Basement Workshop
Shannon Rogers of The Renaissance Woodworker
Wilbur Pan of giant Cypress
Mark Spagnuolo of The Wood Whisperer
Steve Schuler of The Literary Workshop Blog
Chris Adkins of High Rock Woodworking
Tom Lovino of Tom's Workbench
Dyami Plotke of the Penultimate Woodshop

Everyone on the panel was very willing to share successes as well as frustrations and failures.  It seems that just about everyone encountered some of the same problems at one time or another but their message of stick-to-it-ness really came through loud and clear.  Whether you are just starting your woodworking journey or you are looking to add that next level to your skill set, I encourage everyone to check out each of these web pages.  Each of these sites has something different to offer in terms of skill sets and information. One common theme among all of these sites, however, is the passion that goes into creating them, and the willingness to share their knowledge.  You don't, however, have to start a website to share your experience with someone else.  If you are a woodworker or a maker, please find someone to share your knowledge with and encourage them to make something.  The reward is unparalleled, I assure you.

A Bridge To Nowhere.

Like a lot of adults with a misspent youth can say, I used to be in a band.  We played a lot of rock and punk music because that's what garage bands were supposed to play, and that is what my friends and I were into. I would never have admitted it to my friends then, but I really liked bluegrass.  Particularly, I liked and still really enjoy the banjo. I always wanted to learn to play one, but until recently, I never took that dream particularly seriously.   It just so happened that my wife's parents had one buried in their attic, along with the obligatory creepy attic contents proper old houses are supposed to have.  I asked to borrow it and they obliged with eyebrows raised, really?  The banjo?  My wife, who thinks banjos sound like cats caught in a shop vac, said the same thing. I brought the banjo home and opened the cardboard box it was kept in and realized that it was unplayable.  It was missing a bridge, a little (usually wooden) piece just before the end of the banjo that keeps the strings up off of the head, allows them to vibrate freely, and to make that oh so sweet sound.

My first thought about the missing bridge was, uh-oh I bet those are expensive (they aren't).  Against her better judgement, my wife said, "why don't you just make one, they are basically just a wooden block."  It was that moment I realized I could kill two birds with one banjo.  I could get out in my shop for a while, a rarity these past couple of weeks, and I could make my own bridge.

I went out to my refuge and grabbed a couple of walnut cutoffs from my milled walnut tree and an old piece of ebony I have been holding on to for just such an occasion, and quickly realized I had no idea what I was doing.  After returning to the house and scouring the trusty old internet for a while, I found a great reference website for my project.  Http://banjobridge.com/ has a ton of information if you are curious about making a bridge for a banjo.  Whats that you say?  You're a guitar enthusiast?  A cursory "Google" search for "make a guitar bridge" also turned up about 45 million results, so if you are interested, give it a shot.

Now armed with just enough information to be dangerous, I returned to butchering my walnut. With a hatchet, I split a large tapered piece (so the bridge would be quarter sawn) from the scrap.  I then cut a small piece with a handsaw, now tapered from 1/2 in to 3/4 in and about four inches long. Then I cut a thin piece, about 1/4 in by 3 in, of ebony.  I must apologize for the ridiculously staged, after-the-fact photos.  I was happily photographing my process along the way, and then realized I had no memory card in my camera.  I thought the days of no film in the camera were long gone, but apparently technology doesn't cure stupidity.  So, please ignore the obvious fact that the steps don't seem to follow the order in the photographs. Use your imagination.

I used a small block plane to straighten up the top and bottom of the walnut piece and to clean up the bottom edge of the ebony strip.  Then I glued the two pieces together with the ebony strip on the small end of the tapered walnut.

At this point a molding plane would have been handy, but I was able to successfully shape the concave profile using a carving gouge.  Scratch stock might have worked well here as well, and if I was going to make several more of these I'd give it a try.

Shaping A Concave Profile With A Carving Gouge

Concave Profile

Next, I shaped the "feet" with a round file, by just happily filing away until I got bored found success.



I then shaped the sweep on the sides with another carving gouge.  This worked much better than I thought, however, I did hone the gouge to within an inch of its life to assure it was razor sharp before I used it to lop off the edges.

Because the tools I used to shape the bridge were good and sharp I barely had to do any sanding, but I did clean up some edges with a little 250 grit sandpaper.

A tip I got from banjobridge.com which worked really well, was to use welding tip cleaners to form the tiny grooves/slots in the ebony for the strings to sit in.  This tool, if you aren't familiar, is a little metal container full of tiny round metal files used for cleaning out the tips on welding torches.  They are great for cleaning out all kinds of tiny openings and they are usually under five bucks at your local hardware store.  I just matched the size of the file to the size of the coordinating banjo string and filed in the groove.  They worked perfectly!

Welding Tip Cleaners

Filing In The String Slots

Finished Slots

I finished the bridge with a couple coats of beeswax rubbed in with a cotton cloth and it darkened up the walnut nicely.  I used George's Club House Wax, not because I'm going to eat the bridge, but because it's just beeswax and mineral oil and I didn't want anything funky seeping out onto the banjo head.

I'm certainly not going to become the next Antonio Stradavari, but for my very first venture into making an instrument accessory I was pretty happy.  Now, if I could just learn how to play the darn thing!

Woodworking In America 2013

I have an admission to make.  I haven't been in my shop in over a week and a half.  It physically pains me to make that statement.  I have been getting a number of other things squared away so I can attend the Woodworking In America conference this year.  After a drive through the night, and coffee fueled morning, I was able to stay awake for the entire first day of classes.  If you have never been to a WIA conference before, I would highly recommend the trip.  Just like I did last year, as these classes become pertinent to projects I'm doing, I'll post the my notes and photos of some of the classes I have attended.  This conference is a great learning and networking opportunity, but most importantly it gets me excited to get back in my shop.

The day started off with a class from Mr. Glen Huey about the proper use of a powered jointer and thickness planer for stock prep/milling.  I don't own a jointer but I know a guy who does, and he may be getting a phone call from me soon.  I snuck out a little early from that class to attend a class titled TIMBER!!! given by Mr. Roy Underhill.  I wasn't sure what to expect from this class, but I am absolutely glad I attended.  He essentially walked through the steps of squaring a log by hand.  I recently posted on this very topic and I was so glad to get the detailed instruction.  While this is a labor intensive project I actually might give this a try now that I know what is really involved.  I'll post on my attempt (hopefully this fall) and include the instructions I got today.  In the mean time, however, I'll leave you with some photos of Mr. Underhill doing what he does best.  More to come...

Take That Powerpoint!!!

What To Do, What To Do....

Success!!

No, Not Really...

Broad Axe

All Squared Away